An adult day care center client holds a robotic cat. Courtesy, Florida Atlantic University
Those of us with pets know the joy and many blessings they bring to our lives. We know that scientists have quantified the benefits of pet therapy in improving mood and behavior in older adults. Now researchers at Florida Atlantic University have taken it a step further, testing the use of robotic cats in adult day care centers, with promising results!
A team from the University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing assessed the effectiveness of inexpensive, interactive robotic pet cats to improve mood, behavior, and cognition in older adults with mild to moderate dementia. The study was conducted over 12 separate visits to an adult center, where participants with mild to moderate dementia were told that their pet was not a real animal, but simply a robotic version of a real cat. Each of the participants chose a name for their robotic feline that was put on a customized nametag on the collar.
Participants were frequently observed smiling and conversing with their new cuddly and “furry” friend and displayed emotional sentiments such as, “the cat is looking at me like someone who listens to me and loves me.” It seems that they thought the cats were responding to their interactions through meowing and other motorized movements – so much so that they believed they were having a conversation with the pet. Many even slept and cuddled with their pets.
The study measured mood, behavior, and cognition with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). The results were hopeful, showing that intervention with robotic animal pets enhanced all relevant mood scores for participants over time. They also found that the time spent with their respective pets slightly increased the participants attention, calculation, language, and registration abilities.
“Since there is no cure for dementia, our project offers a way to address symptoms naturally and without the use of pharmacological treatments, which may or may not be effective and have possible detrimental side effects,” said Bryanna Streit LaRose, D.N.P., A.P.R.N., the study’s lead author.
Memories are powerful. To help anyone with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias even in small ways can mean the world for them and their families. For those who cannot, please remember 2021 for all it was – the good and the bad. 2022 will be another year of precious memories that define who you are, so cherish the ones you’ve made while you still have them and remind others to do the same.
LMA Newsletter of 1-3-22
